A possible Syracuse Athletics partnership with the Buffalo Bills is starting to sound more than hypothetical.
On Thursday, Buffalo Bills and Sabres Chief Operating Officer Pete Guelli went on WGR 550 in Buffalo and laid out a few ways the two organizations could work together going forward. According to Bills reporter Sal Capaccio, Guelli pointed to the Sabres arena already hosting preseason basketball games in 2025, with another one set for this exhibition season. He also said there may be room to do something in lacrosse, and that the Bills would love to host a neutral-site football game against the right opponent.
That idea lands at a pretty interesting moment for Buffalo. The Bills are set to open the new Highmark Stadium this season, with their first home game coming in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions at 8:15 p.m. ET.
For the Bills, the upside is easy to see. More events in the stadium can bring in more ticket sales, concessions and parking revenue, and it also means more people coming into Western New York. That kind of traffic helps local businesses and gives the Bills another way to make their new building part of the region’s sports identity.
There’s also the simple value of showing the place off. If Syracuse fans come in for a game and leave impressed by the stadium, that could pay off later when those same fans show up for a Bills game.
For Syracuse, the appeal is just as clear. Playing football in an NFL stadium would look good on television and give the program a bigger-stage feel that could matter in recruiting. A new NFL building is the kind of backdrop that sells the idea that a program is “big time.”
It would also fit with Syracuse’s push to win over New York recruits. A game in Western New York would put Fran Brown’s program in front of another part of the state and introduce Syracuse to more eyes.
The same logic applies to lacrosse.
Still, there’s a catch. Guelli’s language about football was specific: “for the right game.”
In other words, this is not about moving just any Syracuse game into the Bills’ new stadium. If something happens, it would need to be a marquee matchup.
And that creates a downside for Syracuse. One big game in Buffalo would mean one fewer big game at the JMA Wireless Dome. That raises the obvious question for fans, season ticket holders and local businesses in Syracuse: what happens if a game like Notre Dame gets moved off the home schedule?
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